1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for fixing a toner image on a sheet or recording medium and a copier, printer, facsimile apparatus, plotter or similar image forming apparatus including the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
It is a common practice with an image forming apparatus to form a latent image on an image carrier in accordance with image data, develop the latent image with a developing device to thereby produce a corresponding toner image, transfer the toner image from the image carrier to a sheet, and then fix the toner image on the sheet with a fixing device. One of conventional fixing devices is constructed such that a pair of rotatable members nip the sheet carrying the toner image thereon and fix the toner image with heat and pressure while conveying the sheet. This kind of fixing device is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-3873 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 5-224546, 6-3988, 7-175356, 9-114289 and 2000-19866.
The problem with the fixing device described above is that the sheet is apt to wrap around the rotary members.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-3320 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 6-11985 and 2001-318544.